


Do as I say, not as I do

by SaoryEmanoelle



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 08:45:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16720116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaoryEmanoelle/pseuds/SaoryEmanoelle
Summary: Being a barista has its perks. For some, it is being able to develop their skills, being creative and most importantly getting to know all about what makes a good coffee!For Vanitas it is seeing a certain someone every morning.





	Do as I say, not as I do

**Author's Note:**

> A TerraVan one-shot for Odangobutts on Tumblr (Go check their work, they're awesome!)!

Many of the people who went to that Coffee Shop, anxious for what would probably be their first drink in the morning, weren’t aware that the ones who’d serve them were already awake for a long time. It wasn’t just about opening the shop and preparing to serve their customers, no: It was also about making sure their drinks would be perfect, to prepare the machines so every order was just like the customer expected it to be.

At first that routine sounded exciting; a new rhythm of life he would have to get used to. After three years however it wasn’t that thrilling anymore. The fear of the first day, the tension of the first week, the expectation for the first year, it all had passed and now was nothing more than that: Routine.

He couldn’t really complain about the job even if it did become rather repetitive and boring sometimes. After all, he was there because he liked the place and liked what he did. Besides it paid his bills so he supposed it was more than enough. And, of course, he got to see _him_ in the morning.

“Seriously, how hasn’t he noticed yet?” Aqua asked one day “You’re so obvious!”

Vanitas didn’t deny it, just proudly smiled to himself. The first time he saw him was three weeks ago. He had just served another customer when the door opened and he came inside. His blue eyes and brown hair matched perfectly with his two-piece suit, a black briefcase under his right arm. And, oh, he was beautiful!

Soon it became hard, impossible even, not to notice him every time he came through that door. It was almost magnetic and, honestly, Vanitas wasn’t bothered by that in the slightest.

“Do you work nearby?” Vanitas asked one day when taking his order. He heard Aqua chuckle.

“Yes, I work in an office a few blocks from here” The man looked at him “Vanitas, isn’t it?”

“That’s my name, yes. What about you? I’ve been seeing you here all these days but I still don’t know your name.”

Vanitas leaned on the counter, smiling again. Terra smiled back - That beautiful smile! - and replied.

“Terra. It’s a pleasure.”

Needless to say, his routine became much more interesting since then. Every day at 8 o’ clock Terra would come through that door and Vanitas would wave to him, anxious to talk to the man while getting his order ready. And every day Aqua teased him about it, telling him to just ask him out already!

“Would you stop staring at the clock all the time? We just opened!” She said despite the obvious smile on her face “He won’t run away if you don’t look at him, you know”

 _Better safe than sorry_ , Vanitas thought to himself! And so there he was again, mindful of the time when the door opened unexpectedly and he frowned in surprise: It was still 7:20 A.M. but for some reason Terra was already there. Aqua looked at Vanitas with a playful look but he merely raised his eyebrow at her before turning his attention to his regular who quickly approached him.

Vanitas gave him a half smile “Good morning. You’re early today!”

“Yeah… Thankfully traffic wasn’t too bad.” Terra stared down to his feet for a while and then to nowhere in particular, turning his gaze away from him “At least I’ll have more time to rest before the day starts I guess.”

“A well deserved rest, that’s for sure. What can I get you today? Same as usual?”

“Uh… Yes, please.”

Terra held his hands together apparently decided not to look at Vanitas. It even felt as if he was ignoring him. Vanitas nodded again and turned his back to him, preparing his drink. Terra looked… Worried about something? Tense for some reason? Maybe that’s why he had come earlier?

“There you go!” Vanitas handed him his order but Terra took longer to pick it up, hesitating.

Vanitas was going to ignore that - He was just another customer after all, right? - but he couldn’t. “Are you alright?”

It took him a few seconds to answer “Yes, I’m okay. Just… Too many things to think about. Work, you know how it is.”

“Oh yeah, work can be a pain sometimes.”

Vanitas smiled to him but Terra didn’t return it and walked away, sitting close to the door and farther than he usually did. Vanitas couldn’t help staring at him for a few more seconds  wondering if he said something wrong and looked to Aqua, who shrugged in equal confusion.

He decided not to think too much about it. Terra was always in such a good mood... Something must have happened, something personal. It wasn’t his business to know what it was of course, they barely spoke to each other, but Vanitas couldn’t help the bad feeling that settled on his stomach when Terra left the Coffee Shop without even looking at him once.

* * *

Ventus, who should work in the afternoon, was sick and so it was up to Vanitas to cover his shift which resulted in him leaving work much later than he did. He waved goodbye to Aqua and went to the closest bus stop, distracted while reading the news on his cell phone when he realized there was already someone there.

Terra looked up at him with a sigh and Vanitas then knew something was wrong.

“... Good evening” He greeted him and sat by his side. Terra greeted him back with a nervous nod and once again looked away, staring down the street without saying a word. Vanitas decided to mess around on his cell phone to avoid more awkwardness and was once again scrolling through the news when Terra spoke.

“... I didn’t know you left work this late”

Vanitas turned to look. Was Terra talking to him?

“I usually don’t. I had to cover a shift for someone”

“Oh. That explains why I don’t see you here every day”

Vanitas didn’t reply. Night was approaching fast and he would have less time to rest now… Maybe he could try to read something when he got home or...

He shook his head. It was useless to try and fill his mind with things he didn’t want to think about. He could see and feel just how uneasy Terra was. Maybe now that they were alone he could ask him about it…?

“... I’m sorry, are you really alright?”

Terra looked at him and frowned sadly. No, he definitely wasn’t.

“I, uh, don’t mean to bother you. But I noticed you were different today and… I hope everything turns out alright!“

“Thank you”. Terra smiled and Vanitas did the same. He thought their conversation would end there but Terra continued “I just… You know that expression, ‘a hopeless romantic’? I think I might be one.”

“Oh” Vanitas felt his heart sink; now that was unexpected. “I see.”

“Do you know when you see someone and… You really want to talk to them? And fear doesn’t let you because you barely know each other? But when you see them it’s impossible not to look and to wonder if... You know what I’m saying?”

Vanitas regretted asking. Why did Terra want to talk now after all? Just a few minutes ago and even that morning he was outright ignoring him but now he wanted to talk exactly about that matter? Worse; he was staring at him as if waiting for help or advice!

“... I know how it is.”

“It’s complicated, isn’t it?” Terra shrugged and checked the time on his wrist watch; there was still time before the bus arrived “I just...”

“... Don’t know what to do?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what to do.”

By the silence that followed Terra was still waiting for a response, a response Vanitas didn’t want to give. _And what do you expect me to do about it?_ Was what he wanted to say but he didn’t.

“What I would do...” Vanitas could feel his mouth getting dry “... Would be to walk to that person and tell them the truth. Maybe… Ask them out? It doesn’t hurt to try, I guess. You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

He laughed. Oh, the irony! If he had followed his own advice a while ago he wouldn’t find himself in this awkward situation now.

“Yes, you’re right. I get nervous pretty easily though… I don’t think I’d be able to even speak!”

“Then don’t speak. But let the person know.” He raised his voice a little “Be it… Be it through your actions or… In the way you greet them. Or in the way you look at them. You don’t need words to say the obvious!”

Terra continued to stare at him and seemed to consider what he was saying unaware that Vanitas wanted to get out of there. Even when he spoke it out loud Terra still didn’t seem to understand what he meant and that was frustrating enough. Vanitas closed his eyes and sighed.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I must have been really inconvenient these last weeks”

Terra blinked a few times “Why are you saying that? You haven’t-”

“It all makes sense now. I mean, you’re… Trying to approach someone and all those days I’ve been… Look, I hope I managed to help you somehow. And I really hope everything turns out alright for you. I’m really sorry.”

Vanitas stood up. He didn’t want to stay there anymore, so he put his cell phone back into his pocket, decided to go home on foot.

“Vanitas-”

“It’s alright. I’ll see you tomorrow!” He added with a calm smile even though he didn’t feel calm at all. He turned around, waving one last time, and walked away so fast that he didn’t see when Terra opened his mouth in shock as realization hit him.

* * *

“Vanitas, are you alright?”

The next day started out like any other. Vanitas arrived at the Coffee Shop with Aqua and made sure all the machines were in perfect condition before taking out the trash and talking with his coworker until it was time to open. He didn’t talk about last night, he had no reason to but of course she noticed something was off.

“I didn’t sleep well” Was all he said.

Vanitas almost checked the time again before forcing himself not to do it. If Terra was coming or not it didn’t matter. He didn’t have any reason to feel excited about that and he really didn’t when, at 7:30 A.M. the door opened again and he saw him, seemingly even more nervous than before.

Oh well. Maybe his advice hadn’t been a good one after all.

“Good morning, Vanitas” He waved to him once it was his turn.

“Good morning. How can I help you? Same as usual?”

Terra pressed his lips together for a few seconds, his hand clutching at something inside his pants’ pocket “I… Don’t know. I wanted something different today. What do you suggest?”

“Well… Many of our customers like the Mocha. It is a mix between cappuccino and hot chocolate. We start by putting chocolate powder with an espresso shot and then add-”

“Vanitas...”

Terra pressed his lips together again. He was going to say something about last night, he just knew it. If he asked for more advice or...

“I… Thought about what you said to me yesterday. I thought… A lot, really and… And I think you’re right. I really think speaking wouldn’t work very well, so…”

Terra took a piece of paper carefully folded from his pocket and held it before him. Vanitas hesitated but picked it up and opened his mouth to ask about it but Terra was once again looking away. Still hesitant, he unfolded the paper and read it. And then his eyes went wide.

“I think… I’ll have this Mocha you talked about. It seems to be good” Terra said, running his hand through his hair in a movement that felt much slower than it should. Or maybe that was just the shock because his mind was still processing what he had read. Vanitas lowered his head to read again and again and only when he was convinced that what he was seeing was real he put the paper on the counter.

“I… Sure. I’ll prepare it right away!” Vanitas turned his back to him, promptly waking to the machine.

_I’d love to talk to you._

Even if he tried to, Vanitas couldn’t hide the smile he had in his lips.

_PS: Sorry. I should have noticed it sooner._

“Here it is!” Vanitas held the drink before the man and Terra picked it up without taking his eyes off him “I hope you enjoy!”

“I will” Terra once again ran his trembly hand down his hair “So, Uh....”

_My number is:_

“My day off is after tomorrow!” Vanitas said and this time Terra didn’t look away. In fact, he seemed to take his sweet time staring at him before he blushed violently and laughed.

“A-Alright. I’ll… Talk to you later, then?”

Vanitas leaned on the counter, enjoying Terra’s laugh, that soft and beautiful sounding laugh that he adored.

“I’ll send you a message later. Terra.”

“Vanitas.”

Terra gave him a nod and walked away. His hands were shaking and his face was burning but Vanitas wasn’t thinking of any of that. All he could think of was of the way he walked, anxious but definitely relieved. Clumsy even.

God, he was so slow.

And Vanitas realized he loved that about him.


End file.
